A Pilot Study using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure

Transcription

1 A Pilot Study using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure

2 Importance of resilience

3 Camp as facilitator of resilience

4 Definition of Resilience Resilience is defined as: The capacity of individuals to navigate their way to resources that sustain well-being; The capacity of individuals physical and social ecologies to provide those resources; and The capacity of individuals, their families and communities to negotiate culturally meaningful ways for resources to be shared. (Resilience Research Center, 2009)

5 Child and Youth Resilience Measure CYRM was designed as part of the International Resilience Project of the Resilience Research Center at Dalhousie University In collaboration with 14 communities in 11 countries around the world 3 domains of resilience resources: 1. Individual 2. Relationship with Primary Caregiver(s) 3. Context/Sense of Belonging

6 Individual Resources Individual personal skills - I cooperate with people around me - I try to finish what I start - I am aware of my own strengths Individual peer support - I feel supported by my friends - My friends stand by me during difficult times Individual social skills - I know how to behave in different social situations - I have opportunities to develop skills that will be useful later in life (like job skills and skills to care for others)

7 Relationship with Primary Caregiver Caregiver physical care giving - My caregiver(s) watch me closely - If I am hungry, there is enough to eat Caregiver psychological care giving - My caregiver(s) know a lot about me - I talk to my caregiver(s) about how I feel - I feel safe when I am with my caregiver(s) - I enjoy my caregiver s cultural and family traditions

8 Context/Sense of Belonging Resources Context: Spiritual - Spiritual beliefs are a source of strength for me - I participate in organized religious activities Context: Education - Getting an education is important to me - I feel I belong at my school Context: Cultural - I have people to look up to - I am proud of my ethnic background - I am treated fairly in my community - I enjoy my community s traditions - I am proud to be a citizen of

9 Purpose of Study This pilot study explored how camp specific resources might relate to the resilience resources identified by the CYRM. Method: 1. Develop a set of camp specific resource questions based on the original CYRM questions 2. Administer both CYRM and Camp Specific question sets to summer camp participants 3. Analyze the results

10 Camp Specific Questions Focus group of camp related professionals Camp specific questions were based on the community-wide questions in the CYRM. 1. I look up to my counselors and activity leaders. 2. I help the kids in my cabin because we all live together. 3. I know my camp counselors care about me. 4. Kids at camp think I am fun to be with 5. I can always talk to my counselor about how I m feeling. 6. I can always count on my fellow cabin mates to support me. 7. I am treated fairly at camp. 8. At camp I learn what I am best at. 9. At camp I learn what I am best at. 10. I feel safe at camp. 11. At camp I learn new skills that will be useful later in life.

11 Administration of Instrument Purposive sample of 37 campers and junior staff Residential summer camp in Ontario, Canada 62% female; 38% male Average age is between 14 and 15 yrs old All questions read aloud and comprehension assured Administration took between minutes

12 Analysis of Results Compared the scores on the CYRM questions to international norms Principal Component Analysis of Camp Specific question scores Correlated Camp Specific components with CYRM domain scores

13 Comparison with International Norms The total CYRM score for the camp population was similar to the normative data score for low-risk populations. Mean camper scores were above the normative data scores on all three domain subscales (one sample t-tests, p <.01). Camp population can be considered resilient according to the CYRM.

14 Principal Component Analysis The scores for the camp specific questions that came out of the focus groups were analyzed to investigate the presence of any themes that might be related to the CYRM resiliency scores. Camp specific scores acceptable for factor analysis. (KMO =.664) Principal Component Analysis yielded 3 components. (Direct oblimin rotation, Eigen values > 1.0) Together, the 3 components accounted for 64% of the explained variance.

15 Component 1 Security Component 1 accounted for 35% of the explained variance Camp specific questions loading above.70: me. (.821) I am treated fairly at camp (.872) I know my camp counselors care about I look up to my counselors and activity leaders. (.719) These questions elicited ideas of security from the research team.

16 Component 2 Confidence Component 2 accounted for an additional 15% of the explained variance Camp specific questions loading above.70: At camp I learn new skills that will be useful later in life. (.865) At camp I learn what I am best at. (.818) These questions elicited ideas of confidence from the research team.

17 Component 3 Fellowship Component 3 accounted for an additional 13% of the explained variance Camp specific questions loading above.70: live (.755) with. (.752) I help the kids in my cabin because we all together. Kids at camp think that I am fun to be These questions elicited ideas of fellowship from the research team

18 Component Correlations Component 1, Security, question scores were each significantly correlated (p <.05) to: Relationship with Caregivers subscale (r=.42) Context/Sense of Belonging subscale (r=.66) This relationship is interesting due to the perceived importance of the relationship between counselors and campers at camp. Suggests counselors maybe able to help to create a sense of security and a sense of belonging at camp.

19 More Correlations One question in component 2, Confidence, was sig correlated (p <.05) with the Individual Subscale: Camp helps me find out what I m best at (r=.387) While the Pearson correlation score is relatively lower, this relationship speaks to building confidence as an individual resource for resiliency. Camps can provide opportunities to explore different types of activities in a safe environment.

20 More Correlations One question in component 3, Fellowship, was sig correlated (p <.05) with the Individual Subscale: I help the kids in my cabin because we all live together (r=.340) This relationship could speak speak toward the importance of having individual contributions to the group. This idea of fellowship seems important, especially on a global scale, and might be worth looking into within the camp context.

21 Conclusion Overall, results indicate that the camp population we surveyed scored above the norm for low-risk youth populations on measures of supports of resilience. Themes related to security, confidence, and fellowship at camp were related to campers relationship with their primary caregivers as well as the development of individual supports. Future studies are needed to further explore the relationship between camp and resilience